Share Liverpool FC has been launched at 5pm this evening, with some interesting ideas on how the 500 million pounds can be raised. Their website shareliverpoolfc.com may have crashed, but fortunately This Is Anfield’s Max Munton was at the press conference at Liverpool University.

Most interestingly, Share LFC state “We don’t want to see any Liverpool fan excluded. We will seek to provide opportunities for groups of fans to purchase one ‘˜member share’ (carrying one vote) between them, providing they can nominate one individual to represent them.”

This could mean supporters branches from around the country and indeed the whole world (over 150) could be given the opportunity to purchase shares from their members combining their money to make up the ₤5,000. Indeed, even website groups could do something similar, with This Is Anfield already having mentioned the possibility of buying share(s).

Share LFC write:

Many people know that Barcelona and Real Madrid are owned by their fans. So are German clubs, apart from Bayer Leverkusen.
In fact, teams owned by their fans like this have won the European Cup 6 times since it became the Champions League in 1992. Even in USA, the NFL Green Bay Packers are run by a not-for-profit company; they’ve won the Superbowl 3 times despite having by far the smallest population of any NFL team.

As for the question of ‘how do we get investment in the future or cash to buy players?’

If we have a well run, debt free Club to start with, there will be money to buy players (how much do you think is spent servicing the Club’s debts?). Also the elected Board may wish to raise money (as any business must sometimes). At Barca, very rich individuals stand for election with promises of further investment. But it doesn’t mean they ‘˜own’ any part of Club.

More info on Share Liverpool FC can be found here – as their website appears be, predictably, under heavy demand!

Share Liverpool FC is the idea of Kop season ticket holder and Director of the Football Industry Group at the University of Liverpool, Rogan Taylor (pictured), with Phil French and Kevin Jaquis advising.